


Beyond All My Own Horizons

by AliceDuIkana



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Dragons, M/M, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-13
Updated: 2013-02-13
Packaged: 2017-11-29 03:24:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/682169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceDuIkana/pseuds/AliceDuIkana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles runs an orbiting space station, that's an Academy for mutants. But one evening somone, quite literally, comes crashing in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beyond All My Own Horizons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PippinPips](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PippinPips/gifts).



> Bithday gift for Pips. 
> 
> Thanks so much to Wallhaditcoming for being my Beta for this!
> 
> It was ment to be a drabble to just explain the Picture. But I got carried away..

It was 7:18 pm when the dragon flew past the window.

Charles spent several seconds wondering if anyone could have slipped something into his tea without him noticing – there couldn’t _possibly_ be a dragon in space – before he was thrown off his feet as the entire station lurched to the right, his mug of tea crashing to the floor.

He was up and running into the hall when the alarms sounded. The first person he found was Logan, Charles’ almost plating his face the other man’s chest as he rounded the corner.

“What the hell was that?” The burly mutant asked

Charles shook his head, starting back down the hall, Logan following behind. “I don’t know,” he said. “I saw something outside my window, but I’m not sure what…“the station shook again as they entered the lift and they both grabbed for the rail lining the walls.

Closing his eyes, Charles reached out with his power, telling every teacher and combat-trained student to be prepped for a fight while telling Raven and Angel to protect the younger students.  That accomplished, he started to scan the station and surrounding area, searching for the threat. He flinched and gasped out as he was hit with waves of emotions. Pain and desperation crashed down on his mind, and a voice, frantic: _‘to weak- shifting…, need oxygen need to breathe!’_ Charles tried to send calm to the mind, but it wasn’t like any Human or Mutant mind he’d felt before. Tendrils of his telepathy slid over the thoughts, feeling them but finding no way in, only able to catch what was projected.

Charles opened his eye and looked at Logan “It’s not someone trying to attack.” He breathed “Whatever-Whoever it is, they’re running out of Oxygen.”

“They could have sent out an emergency signal,” Logan growled “not rammed their fucking ship into us.”

Charles swallowed “It’s not a ship…”

“What?”

“I don’t… its mind is too distressed; I’m having trouble getting through.” He brought two fingers up to his temple, but instead of trying to push into the distressed mind, he sought out Hank.

_‘Professor?’_ The furred mutant said when Charles found him, _‘what’s going on?’_

_‘There’s someone out there who needs help. Head down and open the outer hanger doors, quickly as you can, Hank.’_ Hank spent much of his time in the labs, which were not far from the hanger.  Charles knew Beast would be able to get there faster then he and Logan could.

_‘….?!’_ was Hank’s reply but Charles felt him turn and run on all fours, headed for the hanger.

Charles and Logan made their way down the decks, catching Alex and Sean on the way.  They were just approaching the hanger entrance when the station lurched again. Charles and his group stumbled forward, but they all managed to keep on their feet and reach the entrance to the hanger.  The crashing continued, shaking the hall like an earthquake and the second Charles opened the doorway, he was met with a deafening roar.

So there was a dragon in space.

Charles stood, shocked, watching the dragon as it thrashed among the ships and cargo of the hanger. His heart sped up double time when he notices the trail of blood splattering the area. Immediately he spread out his telepathy, finding that everyone already here – Hank, Kitty and Piotr – were unharmed. But waves of agony pulled his focus back on the dragon, and he saw that more blood was pooling beneath it.

The three mutants behind him dashed fully into the hanger, Alex spewing a storm of curses, echoed in a higher pitch by Sean, and Logan had unsheathed his claws. The group of mutants formed a lose semi-circle around the dragon, all stances battle-ready.

The beast had backed itself into a corner, snarling and hissing, as Hank and Piotr moved closer to it. Every movement it made caused blood to gush from wounds on its stomach and back legs, its long tail flicking in the pool, speckling more red across the metal floor. Its roaring and snarling grew more enraged.

Charles moved to the front of the group of his students, fingers at his temple _, 'Its all right'_ he projected towards the dragon’s mind, as soothingly has he could _'we can help you if you'll let us.'_

The dragon's huge head swung in his direction, large blue-green, eyes zeroing on him. Charles did his best to ignore the sliver of fear that shot down his spine and moved forward slowly. He gestured for everyone to step back, but said nothing when Logan and Hank flanked him.

_'Don't attack unless I say so.'_ he sent to the group behind him.

Charles was trying to work out how he could get into the dragon's mind without ripping his way in. He could feel it was already becoming delirious, projected thoughts wild and incoherent, the blood loss taking a major toll.

Before Charles could determine the quickest way to take control of the situation, the huge creature gave a low, gutted cry and collapsed on the floor in booming thud, mind dimming as it plunged into unconsciousness.

There was a wave of shocked thoughts from behind him as seconds after the dragon had collapsed it began to shrink, sharp scales forming into ashen flesh until the beast had dissolved into a blood stained man.  
  
~~~  
  
They'd gotten the “dragon-man” (what Charles had mentally resorted to addressing him as) down to the ER where, with Charles' assistance, Hank had cleaned, stitched and dressed all the wounds: multiple long, deep lacerations that covered the entire lower left side of the dragon-man's body. It took steady hands and multiple blood transfusions but they were able to stabilize him.

The entire Academy was in a in a uproar of questions, but Charles didn't know how to answer them yet. All he could do was tell them the danger had passed for now and to make sure any damages to the Station were repaired. The clean up for the mess in the hanger was a rather unpleasant process, but they’d managed to get the worst of it.

Charles had stayed in the ER as much as he could for the two days the dragon-man remained unconscious, not sure it would go over well if he woke up alone. Charles worried his lower lip, wondering just what would happen when the he did wake. Would he change back the moment he did? Charles prayed not.

On the third day, the few seconds of spike in consciousness were the only warning Charles got before the stranger launched himself from the bed, ripping the needles and tubes from his body. But the second his feet hit the ground, splotches of pink and red started to bleed through his bandages and thin cotton pants, and he stumbled to the left with a pained yell.

"Wait!" Charles said, on his feet quickly, arms outstretched palms forward.  "It's alright, this place is safe." he moved closer, taking care not to move too suddenly.

The man observed him warily, turning his left side slightly away from Charles, but making no move to relax his guarded stance.

"Please, lay back down, you're reopening your wounds."

He could feel Hank's quick approach, but Charles shot him a telepathic plea to wait outside.

There was a charged silence for several minuets but the dragon-man eventually lowered himself back onto the bed, though he didn't take his eyes of Charles for more that a second.

Charles released the breath he'd been holding, relaxing slightly. "My name is Charles Xavier" he said "and I'm the headmaster of this academy."

No reply, only a continuous piercing gaze.

It continued like that for a time, Charles asking questions but receiving nothing but a wary stare, a minuet movement or a flash of emotion if he was lucky.

Charles tried once, sending out a small tendril of telepathy, just to see if he was even being fully understood.

Immediately the stranger’s eyes widened. Charles caught _‘Telepath!?'_ from the others mind before, with a snarl, mental walls slammed down causing Charles to flinch.

"I'm sorry," Charles said quickly, then sighed. Locking eyes with the dragon-man, he said "But I can’t help you if you don't talk to me."

He hesitated for a moment, but then moved to the door, deciding he wouldn't get any further with the stranger today.  He stopped just before the threshold, turning back, "I'll bring you some food later," he said. He gestured to the door behind him, "And there's a restroom over there," then he exited the room  
  
~~~~  
  
It took a bit longer to gain the dragon-man’s trust, but the next afternoon as Charles was placing a tray of food on the bedside table…

"Erik."

Charles turned, blinking

"My name, in your tongue.  Its Erik." He was facing away from Charles, but looking at him out of the corner of his eyes.

Charles beamed at him. He had so many questions, but held himself back.  He didn't want to overwhelm Erik back into silence.

They talked for a long while.  At first it was like pulling teeth.  There were many awkward pauses, Erik's answers short and to the point, but the longer they spoke the more open Erik became.

He told Charles that yes, he was indeed a Space Dragon, and being a rare creature meant he was often hunted, that this was how he'd sustained his current wounds.

"This form is mostly for camouflaging when I'm on a largely populated planet," Erik said, gesturing towards himself, "But if I'm severely wounded, I will subconsciously shift into it, trying to conserve strength. The downside to this is this form needs much more oxygen."

That seemed like a rather poor defense mechanism for a creature that lived in space, Charles thought but instead said, "That’s why you were so rushed to get in here." 

He hadn't voiced it as a question, but Erik nodded, "The nearest planet with breathable air was too far." He turned his face away from Charles, "Thank you for helping me," he said quietly.

Charles smiled softly.  "You're welcome, my friend."  He paused then, smile shifting into something more serious.  "I'm going to have to tell my students what's happened, Erik.   I'm sorry. I do not wish to lie to them and six already know; they were there when you shifted."

Erik's hands clenched the white sheets, but after a moment, he gave a slight nod.

Charles swallowed, uneasy.

Conversation died off after that, so Charles left Erik to rest. He spent the remainder of the evening gathering his students to explain what had happened. With the help of Logan and the others that had been there, he managed to quell the confusion and worry of his students.

For the next week the atmosphere around the station was a bit more excited, the student population becoming more rowdy than usual. Charles found himself spending more time down in med-bay with Erik, drawn to the presence of the dragon-man. Now that Erik was more open to conversing, they discussed many thing, including Charles mutation and the school he ran here. Apparently Erik had met a few mutants on the different planets he'd visited, one even being a telepath who'd taught him a little about shielding. This explained how he’d been able to immediately identify Charles’ ability and shut him out.

Charles was truly enjoying his time spent with Erik, with his fierce mind, sharp and intelligent.

It most certainly, Charles told himself, had nothing to do with the attractive appearance of Erik's human form.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when Charles found Erik up and about. He had to stop himself from staring at the flexing of muscle as Erik paced shirtless around the room. Before Charles could ask him what was wrong, Erik abruptly stopped his pacing and turned to Charles.

"I need a larger area to shift in" he said.

Charles heart dropped as he suddenly imagined Erik, shifting and taking off through the hanger doors. But he had no right to keep Erik here if he wished to leave.

Fixing a smile on his face, he said “Well there's the hanger, or the unfurnished observatory deck." he couldn’t stop himself from throwing in, "The later would mostly likely be empty of any student or faculty."

Erik nodded.  “The latter one then," he said grabbing his shirt off the bed a slipping it on.

Together they made their way up to the eastern observation deck. When in the lift, Erik kept rolling his shoulders and flexing his arms. Charles didn't know whether to feel grateful for the baggy cotton shirt or curse it.

"Are you alright, Erik?"

"I've built up a lot of energy in this form," Erik said, "It's becoming strenuous."

Charles hmm'd as the lift opened up and they stepped off.  Sweeping the level with his telepathy, he made sure they wouldn't run into anyone. Erik kept a step behind him as Charles maneuvered the halls and brought them up to a set of wide chrome doors. Pulling a card key from his pocket, he slid it into the slot next to the door.  It chimed and silently slid open, revealing the expanse of the deck. It was only slightly smaller that the hanger, slim grey supports starting at the edges of the chrome-tiled floor held wide walls and a domed ceiling of glass, the countless stars in the blue-black of space fully visible beyond.

Erik wasted no time, walking to the center of the room as Charles flicked on the lights.

"Are you sure you’re well enough for this?" Charles asked fidgeting with his hands. "I know Hank said your wounds are healing nicely, and at and extraordinary rate but-"

"It’s alright, Charles" Erik said turning to look at the brunet with a fond smirk,

And then Erik started to strip.

Charles felt his face heat, heartbeat quickening. He knew it was rude to just stare but that backside, good _lord_ …

When Erik crouched on all fours, both Charles’ brain and heart stopped.

There was a sudden explosion of gray and purple scales. Charles had assumed it would be a longer process, but within a half a minute Erik was a massive form in the center of the deck. He stretched his wings back and released a growl that sounded more like a relived groan. His body structure seemed strange for a dragon…well for what Charles imagined one would look like. Erik had a more horse-like frame, a large ribcage that tapered into a slim back end, with sharp, clawed hand-like feet. He was mostly varied shades of gray, but accented with reds and purples. He turned at Charles' carful approach, lowering his head so their gazes were level. Large blue-green eyes reflected the stars out the window.

Charles brought up his hands, placing them on Erik's massive jaws, smiling at how warm his scales were to the touch.

"Magnificent," Charles breathed.


End file.
